First Baptist Church, Ocala, Florida

The Wicks Organ Co., Highland, Illinois, Opus 6382

On August 15, Sante Fe harpsichordist Virginia Mackie joins
the very exclusive club of centenarian harpsichordists; indeed, the only other
one known to me is retired Paris Conservatoire Professor Marcelle de Lacour,
who turned one hundred on November 6, 1996, celebrating the event by playing a
recital for the residents of her retirement home!

Leslie Spelman, of La
Jolla, California, died on May 28 at the age of 97. He taught at the University
of Redlands from 1937-1968 and was Director of the Division of Arts and School
of Music 1952-68. After retiring from Redlands, he served as Dean of the School
of Music at California Institute of the Arts (1967-70), and taught at San Diego
State University. Prior to his Redlands career, he taught at William Woods
College (1928-30) and Meredith College (1932-37). From 1930-32 he was organist/choirmaster
at the American Church in Paris.

What strikes one immediately in the north of Germany is the
uniformity of the style of architecture of the major churches. Throughout
Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the cathedral-size edifices have
certain things in common. They are all massively-built gothic churches with
high arching naves, some of which are well over a hundred feet in height, and
they are made of brick. This last element creates a significant difference in
feeling from the churches of the south of Germany or from the great French
cathedrals whose soaring features have a more delicate nature about them.

The following deals with the most important debate in the
German Christian churches: the crisis within the church and the consequences of
that crisis to church music today. 
Such a situation may easily create the impression of that whining
attitude of which we Germans are usually suspicious. But the subject is very
urgent to us, and we church musicians cannot ignore it by any means.